Cash register



A. RIST CASH REGISTER Dec. 8, 1931.

Filed NOV. 2, 1928 FIG. 1

Patented Dec. 8, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT o FFICEY ADOLF RI S'IL, OF BERLIN, GERMANY, ASSIGNOR TO THE NATIONAL CASH REGISTER COMPANY, OF DAYTON, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF MARYLAND CASH REGISTER.

,Application filed November 2, 1928, Serial No.

This invention relates to cash registers or similar machines, and is more particularly related to novel locking mechanisms whereby certain of the functions of such machines may be controlled.

For illustrative purposes, the invention, in its preferred form, is attached to a machine of the type disclosed in Letters Patent of the United States, No. 1,242,170, issued October 9, 1917 to F. L. Fuller, and Nos. 1,619,796

and 1,655,570, issued March 1, 1927 and January 10, 1928, respectively, to B. M. Shipley.

Machines of this type are usually equipped with a plurality of groups of totalizers, and a manipulative control means, as a lever, having an intermediate adding position and a plurality of zeroizing positions on opposite sides of the adding position, the lever being normally located in its adding position to control the machine to add onto totalizers, but shiftable therefrom in either direction to control mechanism to reset the several totalizers to zero. When moved from its add position to its zeroizingpositions, the total control lever, as itwill be hereinafter referred to, determines from which of a plurality of groups of totalizers, a single selected totalizer is to be reset to. zero. In its adding position, thetotal lever, ,of course, controls the ma' chine to accumulate amounts on any selected totalizer.

It is old to provide a lock or locks with which to retain the total control lever in its adding position, or as stated differently, to lock the lever out of'its zeroizing positions, to prevent unauthorized clerks from resetting certain of the totalizers to zero. The proprietor, usually retains possession of the key to the total lever lock, the withdrawal of which renders certain of the zeroizing positions accessible to the total control lever. As often happens, however, after resetting the totalizer or totalizers to zero, and after returning the'total control lever to its adding position, the proprietor may forget to turn the lock to prevent the unauthorized re-adjustment of the lever back to one or another of its zeroizing positions.

One object of this invention is to provide a novel locking mechanism in combination with 316,787, and in Germany November 18, 1927.

such a control lever whereby the proprietor or other authorized person is forced to render the zeroizing positions inaccessible to the lever before the control lever can be restored to its adding position. The usual locking mechanism prevents operation of the machine unI- less the lever is in one or another of itspredetermined positions, nor can any amount keys be depressed while the lever is out of its add position.

This object is effected by so arranging the lock relatively to the control lever, that the latter must be shifted out of its add position before the zeroizing position or positions can be rendered accessible, and vice versa. The zeroizing posit-ion or positions must be rendered inaccessible before the control lever canbe fully restored to its add position.

Another object is to provide novel means to count the number of times the total control lever is moved into any certain position. it-h these and incidental objects in view, the invention includes certain novel features of construction and combinations of parts, the essential elements of which are set forth in appended claims and a preferred form or embodiment of which is hereinafter described with reference to the drawin s which accompany and form a part of this specification.

In said drawings: I

Fig.1is a view in front elevation, showing the locking deviceand the counter for counting the number of times the total control lever' is moved into its lowermost resetting p0- sition. v i r a vFig. 2 is a fragmentary detail view of the lock and locking plate.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary view in side elevation, of the counting device for use in connection with the total lever.

The invention is applicable to a keyboard mechanism of the kind illustrated in the Shipley Patent, No. 1,655,570. In that machine, the total control lever has an intermediate adding position, three positions below the 7 adding position, and three positions above the adding position. When the total control lever is shifted to any of its positions below the adding position, it sets mechanism f to select the desired group of totalizers in \vhichis included the particular totalizer to I be cleared, and also sets mechanism to control the machine to reset or clear the selected totalizer; When the total lever is shiftedto' any of the positionsabove the adding position in the Sh-ipley patent, it also sets the mechanism to select the desired group of to- Y talizers, and also setsthe mechanism to con- Since the present invention may be complete 'tr'ol the machine to take asuh-totalfrom the particular totalizer of the selected group;

' 7 1y disclosed by illustrating its application to the lower. series of positions to any of which the total control lever may be adjusted, to-

' getheriwith' theifa'dd position, the upper series of positions is not illustrated herein, and

no description" thereofincluded "in this specification. The mechanism embodying his i -mumm b n i en l p icated for the upper series of positions. T

The total control lever 25; (F projectsrr' f l usial te e se t b Pl t 2. (F sdisclosed in the prior art cite d, which plate is suitably supported to enable the operator to shift the lever vertically along a slot 27. (Fig. 1) infan index plate 28. M

The total lever'2 5 normally restsin-a rejcess or index notch 2 6 formed intermediate the ends and onone side wall of the slot or we in thef a ex nae. O h nete e are providedb'oth above and below the inter mediate notch 26. However, only those Y no c "2 sho -n h r in, fin s notches 29, 3.0 and 31 are forthe purpose of locating the total control lever 25, and holding it i iteratio s pest i ns.teeoil ti nthe ma in s: dd g d 5 r ett g Q1;

aaingaeealass. oi he se er lis e groups.

W h n h ota sentr lever25 is sh itedto.

hfir t Po it o 2. b low a d p s t p 26, it automatically controls the selection of the series of clerks totali z e sfftor.operation,

and the ngagem t. andr isess'e emei t' V a selected. oneof such totalizers relatively'to he nsuala tua o s (not show le .th

fl lletotal ,ei'snelithe me a m y whi h the lever 25 controls thein are shown herein, as the, n enti n is di eeted t means f a i the total control lever 25 out of-certain of its Po$i 0ns-.,

I a blocking bar 33, which lies just beneath the slotted plate 28, is of a length suii= ficient to extend across both notches30 and 31. The normal position of this blocking bar 33 is as shown in Fig. 1, wherein it extends across the slot 27 and in the path of the total control lever 25, constituting an obstrnction to prevent adjustment ot the lever to either of its positions 30 or 31. Obviously, ifdesired, theblocking, barcouldb'e extended to prevent adjustment of the total control lever to the position 29. A 1ink'34 pivoted at one end to the blocking bar 33 intermediate its ends, is eccentrically pivoted at its opposite end to a lockibarrel 35,;(F-ig. 2 suitably supported on a i ra1ne' (not shown). The outer end of thebarrel 35 extends through a suitable aperture in the index plate tobe accessible to the proprietor who may, byinserting the proper key and turning the barrel35, draw the blocking bar 33 to the right and out of line i with the slot 27, thereby permitting adj astmentof the total control'lever 25yto the lower two positions 30 and3l. Studs 36 and? projecting inwardly'fro-in the index'plate28 guide the blocking bar 33 as it is shiftedto and-from its eiiective' position, the studs 37 bracing the baragainstpressure applied to the opposite end of the bar through'the'lever 25, when the bar is in effective position.

Other studs 38-and 39 in the index plate limit the movement of the blocking bar 33 to wards the right.

After the total has been taken from any one; or a plurality of the departmentor transaction totalizers,'and before thetotalieontrol lever 25' can-be restored to itsgadding position, it is desirableto compel the propri etor to turn the lock 35 in order to again position the -blockingbar 33in the path of the total control lever 25 to prevent re-adjustment of the lever to the total taking positions 30 and 31. The 'reasonfor this is, that should. the proprietor neglect to lock the total control' lever out ofits department and transaction total taking positions, any of theclerks or any unauthorized person might zeroize any of the department or transaction totalizers at Will.' i

To accomplish the above purpose, a link 45 connects one" arm 460i a" bell crank 47", pivotedon, astudS in the indexplate28, to the blocking bar 3 3, the remaining arm of the bell crank lever terminating in a nose 49 normally located adjacent the'add position of the total control lever. theirnorrnal positions'shown in Fig. 1, the proprietor wishing to take oneor more totals trornthe department or transaction totaliz ers or both, will first adjust the total control lever 25 from its add-"position 26 towards .7

the positions 30 and 31, and may advance; the lever-until it contacts and isarrested' by the upper end of'the blocking bar 331- Itis only necessary, as will hereinafter appear -to dislodge the lever from its .add position, how- With the parts 'in ever. The proprietor will then insert his key in the lock barrel 35 and turn the key, and the barrel to withdraw the blocking bar 33 from the path of the lever which may then be advanced to either of the total taking positions or 31 and the machine operated.

The blocking bar 33, on its withdrawal from the ath of the total control lever 25, operates the'link 45to rock the nose 49 of the bell crank lever 47-across the guide slot 27 at the pointwhere the lever stands for permitting adding, to block the restoration of the total control lever to its add position so long as the blocking bar 33 remains in its withdrawn or idle position.

Consequently, should the proprietor become forgetful and attempt to return the total control lever directly to its add position, the lever will contact the nose of the bell crank 47, which prevents access of the lever to the add position, and the arrest of the lever apprises the proprietor of the fact that he has not restored the blocking bar 33 to its normal eflective position. Thcreupon, while the lever is out of the path of the blocking bar 33, the proprietor will operate his key and reversely rotate the lock barrel to restore the blocking bar and render the positions 30 and 31 inaccessible to the lever.

At the same time, the link connecting the blocking bar 33 and bell crank 47, rocks thelatter to withdraw the nose 49 of the bell crank from its locking position relatively to the lever 25 and the add position 26, whereupon, the proprietor completes the restoration of the total control lever to its normal add position, and the machine is in condition for operation by the clerks.

Should the proprietor attempt to withdraw the blocking bar 33 by rotating the lock barrel 35, before displacing the total control lever 25 from its add position, the operation will be arrested before the complete withdrawal of the blocking bar to idle position, because of the contact of the nose 49 of the bell crank 47 with the total control lever 25 which arrests the bar 33 before it has cleared the slot 27. It is necessary, therefore, to move the total control lever 25 to a position between the notch 26 in the adding position and the end of the blocking bar 33 before the lock 35 can be turned sufliciently to remove the blocking bar 33 from the path of the lever 25.

To count the number of times the total control lever 25 is adjusted into the notch 31, for instance, to control the machine to zeroize one of the transaction totalizers, a Veeder type consecutive counter is provided. An operating crank 56 fast on the counter shaft 57 of the consecutive counter lies in the path of the total control lever 25, so that when the lever 25 is shifted to its lowermost position, it contacts with and rocks the crank 56 clockwise to the position shown by dot and dash lines in Fig. 3. A spring 58 attached to the crank 56 restores the latter to its normal position when the total control lever 25 is shifted away from the crank.

While the form of mechanism herein shown and described is admirably adapted to fulfill the objects primarily stated, it is to be understood that it is not intended to confine the invention to the one form or embodiment herein disclosed, for it is susceptible of embodiment in various forms all coming within the scope of the claims which follow.

What is claimed is: 1. In a machine of the class described, the combination with a reciprocating manipulative member adjustable between two positions; of blocking means normally effective to prevent the adjustment of the manipulative member from one to the second of its positions, and means connected with the blocking means and operable upon the manipulative member to compel the displacement of the manipulative member from the first of its positions before the second. of its positions can be rendered accessible to it.

2. In a machine of the class described, the combination with a reciprocating manipulative member adjustable between two positions; of blocking means normally effective to prevent the adjustment of the manipulative member from one to the second of its positions; and means shiftable into the path of return of the manipulative member upon the withdrawal of the blocking means to ineffective position, to prevent the restoration of the manipulative member to the first of its positions while the blocking means for the second of such positions remains ineffective.

3. In a machine of the class described, the combination with a reciprocating manipulative member having a normal position and at least one other position between which it is adjustable; of means to normally block the manipulative member from said position other than normal; means to withdraw the blocking means; and means operable by said withdrawing means to block the manipulative member from adjustment to its normal position.

4. In a machine of the class described, the combination with a reciprocating manipulative member having a normal operative position and at least one other operative position; of means to block the manipulative member from adjustment to its operative position other than normal; means to enforce movement of the manipulative member from its normal position before said blocking means can be rendered ineffective, and to enforce movement of the blocking means to its effect-- ive position before said manipulative member can be restored to its normal position; and means to operate said blocking means and said enforcing means.

5. In a machineofithe class described, the combination with r a shiftable total; control lever having an adding position and atotalizing position; of a blockingbarto prevent access of said lever toitstotalizing position; means to withdraw said blocking bar to idle position and to restore it to .efiective pcsi-i tion; and means to compel movement of the total control lever from its adding position before theblocking-bar can be withdrawn' '6. Ina machinev of the class described, the combinationwitha totalcontrol lever having an adding position and atotalijzing position;

of ablooking bar to prevent access of said lever to its totalizing position; means to operate said blocking bar and means actuatedfby said operating means toicompel movementof the total control lever out of its' adding' posi-v tion before said blocking barlcanbe Wltlk drawn to render the totalizingpositiong ac- "cessible, anc to compel restoration 7 or" said blocking bar before the lever can be restored to its adding position. 7 a

7. In a machine of the class described, the combination with an adjustablemember having an adding position and a totalizing position; of: a blocking device to prevent adjustment of the member to its totalizing position; means operable to withdraw said blocking device to render thetotalizing posiauxiliary lockingj lever; a link to connect the blocking element andthelocking lever, one

arm of the locking-lever adapted 'to intersect I one of the positions occupied bythe adjust able member, and to prevent its return thereto when the blocking element is rendered in effective, 5 I

10. In a machine ofthe class described, the

combination with a manipulative me b r having a normal operable position. and two otheroperative positions; ofmeans to block the manipulative member from ad ustment to one of its operative positions; .means to en force movement of the man pulat ve member from its normal position towards another of its operative positions before the block ng means can be rendered ineiiect1ve,and to enforce movement of the blocking means to its effective position beforethe Vmanipulative 7 member can belrestored, to. its normal positionyand means to operate said blocking means and said enforcing means. o

11. Ina machine of the class described, the combination with reciprocating manipulative member adjustable,preceding an operation of the machine, between two positions;

of blocking means operable to, enfore the manipulative member, during such preliminary adjustment, to beshifted intoa position intermediate said two positions prior. to the adjustment of the inanipulative:member from either of: its positions into its other position, In testimony whereof I afli-X my signature;

1 .ADOLF RIST.

tion; of a blocking device to preventadjust- V ment of themember to its totalizing position; means operable to withdraw said blocking device. to renderthe totalizing position accessibleto the adjustable member; and-a lever connected toy-said blocking device and adapted to contact the adjustable-member to prevent operation of theoperable means to withdraw the blocking deviceuntil the adjustable member is moved from its adding position,

said lever being operable as the blocking device is withdrawn to ineffective position. to

prevent the return of the adjustablemember to its adding position'until the blocking de vice is restored to its effective-position after the displacement of the adjustable device from the totalizing position,

9. Ina machine of the class described, the

combination with an adjustable member having two positions to either of which it may be adjusted a blocking element 7 normally lying in the path of the adjustable member to prevent access thereof to one of such positions; and means to render-the blocking element'effective and inefi'ective; of a no-rmally idle 

